Day to Remember
by Gingercookiessnaps
Summary: Mana had gotten the best present for her 16th birthday. One that she would never forget. Also, this is fluffy but not. Sad though. Definitely kind of sad. (Contest entry)


**A/N: **The story is AU-ish in the fact that Ryuga is still _here _after Nemesis. Mana was 15 during their battle against the god. She'd be 16 the year afterward. So, yeah, the story is AU-ish. Also, I haven't been updating my stories for this fandom. I have been writing one-shots for _Trigun_. Its a whole other fandom in itself. On with the one-shot!

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It had been less than a year since the defeat of Rago and Nemesis. Been less than a year since Ryuga ended in the hospital in a coma. She hadn't even thought of her birthday as she visited the Dragon bey user. The nurses even let her stay after visiting hours; they knew she wanted to be there - even when she should have been sleeping. Her head rested on the edge of the hospital bed as her steady breathing confirmed the nurses she was, in fact, sleeping. Everybody remembered the year Ryuga almost destroyed the city. They were amazed the teen wasn't afraid to be around him not knowing she had traveled with him for most of his journey to find Nemesis to harness his power. Her hair fell over her face as her breath moved some strands before they fell back into place. The steady beeping of the heart monitor kept her relaxed knowing he was still alive. Mana didn't even notice the person rustling around as he started to awaken.

Gold eyes stared at the ceiling as they waited for it to come into focus. Ryuga had no idea how long he had been out. Actually, he didn't remember much of what happened. What had happened? He groaned as a hand came to lay over his forehead. It was pathetic. He knew it was pathetic even if he couldn't remember the events. He growled before sitting up instead of laying down. His thoughts derailed as he notice the purple haired girl sleeping with her head on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through her hair as he tried to remember her. He _knew _who she was, but he couldn't place a name on her. It frustrated him. Her head turned as her eyes opened. Somebody was moving her hair. Her vision was unfocused, but she looked up to catch gold eyes staring at her. She froze. His hand fell onto the bed.

"Mana," he spoke.

"R-Ryuga!" she squeaked. "You're awake."

He winced from her shouting. His head was pounding. She stopped as she saw his wince. The girl placed a hand on his face as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It had been nearly a year since Nemesis had placed him in a coma; she had started to think he wasn't going to wake. She hated feeling helpless. Tears slipped past her guard as a sob hiccuped from her chest.

"You - You woke up," she sobbed. "Thank God."

He stayed silent. She knew he would stay silent. It was Ryuga after all. She heard him sigh. He looked at his reflection in the window. Oh, the mighty dragon emperor had fallen. He had fallen hard. He wished he could remember why he _felt _that way. A jolt ran through him before he looked at the girl beside him. She had to stop touching him. Though, at the moment, he hadn't really minded. Her lavender eyes stared at him as if she came to an understanding of his dilemma. She knew he couldn't remember. His memory had been blocked.

"Don't," he said. "I don't need your pity, Pain."

"I'm not pitying you," she spat, a little harsher than she had meant. "I was surprised that you couldn't remember. I was wondering why you hadn't asked about it since you woke."

Tears stained her cheeks, but she had stopped crying. Some sobs still racked her body, but she held them at bay. Her head hung as her bangs covered her eyes. She was happy. Overly happy. He was awake. He was okay. Oh god, she should contact the nurse! She went to press the button to call the nurse when Ryuga pulled her hand away from it. She frowned at him; he could be so stubborn when something wasn't going the way he liked it.

"Don't press that."

"They need to know you're awake, Dragon boy. Don't make this difficult."

He glared at her, and she gave a defeated sigh. Fine, she wouldn't tell them at the moment. Her annoyed expression turned into a curious one. He didn't want the nurse to come in. Why? He tugged at her hand as she realized he hadn't let it go. Red appeared over the bridge of her nose, but she shook her head as to get rid of the color. When he had got her attention, Ryuga let it go before he stared at the window once again. Her hand felt cold, and she hated that feeling.

"Did Gingka win against Rago?"

"Yes. Kenta did a lot to help him."

The corner of his mouth twitched. He remembered the boy's resolve to get him to listen to his story. Help the others. Yeah right. He leaned against the head of the bed as his eyes drifted to the ceiling. Mana sat on the edge of the bed as if she was still not believing he was awake - and talking to her. Her arms slowly wrapped around him. He stiffened at the contact. Nobody gave him hugs, and her's sent another jolt through him. She had to stop touching him.

"I was worried," she whispered into his neck. "I tried to wake you after the battle was over. You wouldn't respond. But, you were alive. Your heart was still beating."

He slowly relaxed as he listened to her whisper about the aftermath of the battle. She told him that it had been a few months since he had fallen into a coma. She had told him that the doctor said he was in one because he was trying to block some memories. His eyes widened as she said she visited him every day and sometimes stayed overnight to make sure she wasn't dreaming he was still with them. His arms wrapped around her waist as if he was hesitant. The tears against his skin were becoming unbearable. Mana continued her sobbing, as if she hadn't done enough of it, when the sound of the door sliding open had her disentangling herself from the dragon emperor's embrace. She tumbled to the floor as Gingka appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Mana, happy birth … Ryuga's awake!" he shouted.

"I _still _have a headache," he growled. "Don't yell."

The rest of the gang came trampling through the door as if to see what he yelled was true. Madoka looked at Mana on the floor as she rubbed her eyes. She stood before walking toward the door. She had to wash her face. Her eyes were red and puffy. Nobody needed to know shew as crying. Her foot stepped on a card. She picked it up before flipping it open. A soft smile appeared on her face. She placed the card on the nightstand.

"Where are you going?"

His voice stopped her from exiting the room. She smiled, "I'm letting the nurse know you're awake." She paused for a moment. "By the way, Ryuga, you've given me the best birthday present."

He watched her walk out the door with an almost confused expression on his face. His eyes traveled to the card laying on the nightstand. The words etched into his mind.

**Happy 16th Birthday, Mana!**

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**A/N: **Why did I write this? I was pulling at my own heartstrings. Anyway, Mana wouldn't have a glamorous 16th birthday. Though, Ryuga definitely made her day. It was a happy day.


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